Comparison of Different Waves during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Retrospective Descriptive Study in Thailand

Jadsada Kunno; Busaba Supawattanabodee; Chavanant Sumanasrethakul; Budsaba Wiriyasivaj; Sathit Kuratong; Chuthamat Kaewchandee

doi:10.1155/2021/5807056

Comparison of Different Waves during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Retrospective Descriptive Study in Thailand

Adv Prev Med. 2021 Oct 8:2021:5807056. doi: 10.1155/2021/5807056. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Jadsada Kunno¹, Busaba Supawattanabodee¹, Chavanant Sumanasrethakul², Budsaba Wiriyasivaj³, Sathit Kuratong⁴, Chuthamat Kaewchandee¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Research and Medical Innovation, Faculty of Medicine Vajira Hospital, Navamindradhiraj University, Bangkok, Thailand.
² Department of Urban Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Vajira Hospital, Navamindradhiraj University, Bangkok, Thailand.
³ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine Vajira Hospital, Navamindradhiraj University, Bangkok, Thailand.
⁴ Department Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Vajira Hospital, Navamindradhiraj University, Bangkok, Thailand.

Abstract

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. An outbreak is called an epidemic when there is a sudden increase in cases. Many countries have experienced a two-wave pattern in the reported cases of COVID-19. The spread of COVID-19 in Thailand was a cluster event distributed over multiple locations. This study aims to compare the characteristics of different waves during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted from January 2020 to May 2021 (17 months) to determine the number of COVID-19 screenings and confirmed cases and deaths as well as sociodemographic characteristics such as gender, age, nationality, and source population at risk factors. The categorical data were compared using a chi-square test.

Results: Three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic occurred within 17 months in Thailand, and the number of cases increased by over 100,000 due to source population at risk factors such as close contact with a previously confirmed patient, community risk, cluster communities, and active and community surveillance. The chi-square test revealed significant differences between the three waves (p < 0.01).

Conclusion: Significant differences between pandemic phases or waves may be due to weak social distancing policies and the lack of public health interventions. A COVID-19 vaccination plan is needed for people at risk of suffering severe symptoms and the general population in outbreak areas to increase immunity.